1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analytical strip reading apparatus, and more particularly, to an analytical strip reading apparatus applied for biological detection of photoreaction signal and to an analytical strip reading apparatus with a removable firmware device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To meet the needs of humans to monitor chronic diseases, apparatus manufacturers have developed various kinds of detecting apparatuses to be applied in medical care, for example, blood glucose meter and electronic sphygmomanometers. Among all biochemical or immunological detecting apparatuses, the more common ones are those for detecting blood glucose, uric acid, or total cholesterol. Such kinds of detecting systems can be divided into optical reaction systems and electrochemical systems, wherein the electrochemical systems are cheaper and more frequently used.
However, no matter for biochemical or immunological detection, the right type of analytical strip is required to be used for performing tests. For example, blood glucose strip is required to be used for blood glucose tests while total cholesterol strip is required to be used for total cholesterol tests. In addition to selecting the right type of analytical strip, the next step is confirming the accuracy of lot number and expiration date on the container of strip. After the analytical strip is inserted into the detecting apparatus, the calibration information of reagent is then input into the machine, the step of which is performed due to that there may be some difference between calibration parameters of analytical strips manufactured in different lots. However, the aforementioned way of performing detection is under below risks: 1. the analytical strip used may belong to a wrong type; 2. the analytical strip used may have already passed its expiration date; 3. the analytical strip may bear a different lot number. The situations described above are all errors that are not allowed to happen as these errors will compromise the accuracy of test results.
Moreover, with the progress of the biotechnology industry and the advancement of detection techniques, analytical strips for different bio-makers have continuously been developed and thus new types of analytical strips cannot be used in existing detecting apparatuses. In order to solve this problem, the conventional solution is that the users are requested to send the detecting apparatuses back to the manufacturers or the commercial agents for the manufacturers or the commercial agents to perform updates and then send the machines back to the users for further use, this way of service thus causing inconvenience and disturbance of users when using the machines.